Miley Cyrus is topping charts with a song in which she croons, “I can buy myself flowers.” Some floral industry marketers couldn’t agree more. And they let the pop star know it.

“When one of the world’s most famous pop stars sings about what your business stands for, you must join the conversation,” says Steve Dionne, AAF, executive director of CalFlowers (the California Association of Flower Growers and Shippers), which spearheaded the That Flower Feeling brand and its marketing campaign noted for its tagline, “Flowers. Self care made easy.”

The song, “Flowers,” which dropped in January and has spent 11 weeks on the Billboard top 100 charts, most recently came in at No. 2. So, the campaign set out to capture Cyrus’ attention by thanking her with flowers in a customized vase that resembles her hand complete with reproductions of her tattoos. One arrangement was sent to Cyrus, another to her publicist and a third to her agent. In addition, a mobile billboard hit the streets of Los Angeles in March with a simple message imposed over a bouquet of flowers that reads, “Thanks, Miley. You Get It” and That Flower Feeling logo.

The campaign posted the same message to a billboard located in Studio City on Sunset Boulevard, conveniently situated between Cyrus’ home and studio, explains Dionne.

“We hope to get her to notice — and respond,” he says.

The marketing effort, which was developed by the firm 180 Amsterdam, is low budget, Dionne says, although he wouldn’t disclose how much has been allocated. The hope is that it goes viral mostly through social media, but there is an effort underway to garner attention from the local television news affiliates and cultural media magazine staples. Already, it has garnered attention on Instagram, and there are plans for more posts, reels and tags in an attempt to get Cyrus to respond, says Dionne.

“We were looking for a low-budget, high impact marketing campaign that would lift the brand’s image,” Dionne says. “The whole thing is still slowly unfolding. We are not at the finish line yet.”

While That Flower Feeling has fun tapping into the celebrity world, it remains focused on promoting sales across the industry, Dionne emphasizes. The campaign, launched in January 2022, includes video, social media and other assets available to industry professionals. It quickly exceeded the expectations of the CalFlowers board, which spearheaded the campaign, says Dionne.

The campaign made 60 million impressions across various platforms, including TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram and Spotify, he says. An online survey found that 70 percent of the campaign’s viewers changed their opinion of flowers, and 70 percent reported that they intended to buy themselves flowers.

This year, the campaign has relaunched in digital spaces with a focus on targeting more women.

That Flower Feeling Foundation, which was established last year to oversee and raise money for the That Flower Feeling brand, has raised $701,000 towards its $2.5 million goal for the next campaign, with CalFlowers pledging $500,000 for the next three years, Dionne says. Many other donors have also made three-year pledges, he added.

The foundation is accepting tax-deductible donations toward current and future campaigns. (For more information about the campaign or to donate, visit thatflowerfeeling.org.)

As for the outcome of the latest campaign involving Cyrus, Dionne is encouraged that That Flower Feeling’s message is resonating.

“We think we hit on a cultural moment and we want to emphasis that we are including flowers in the right conversations at the right time,” he says.

Sarah Sampson is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.